The Dark Creatures
by Sai Le Cat
Summary: Seth Potter was the hero of light, the vanquisher of the Dark Lord, the Chosen One...so where does that leave his younger, far more powerful, yet misjudged Brother? Don't worry, you read right...
1. Chapter I: Beginnings

**Disclaimer: I do not, nor will I ever, own Harry Potter. I do not make any money off of this work. **

**Author's Note: This was written originally earlier in the year, but due to personal reasons, I took it down. I'm writing my own original book as well as this and several other stories, so for updates, information, or just need a laugh, the links to my blog, tumblr (NSFW), and Deviantart are in my profile.**

**Warnings: Wrong Boy-Who-Lived, Mentions of Abuse/Neglect, Swearing**

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In the countryside of England, at a particularly small but cozy-looking manor, there lived the Potter family.

James Potter, Lily Evans-Potter, and their twin sons, Seth and Harry Potter. They seemed like the perfect little Wizarding family. There was the strapping and successful father, beautiful and devoted wife, and handsome, intelligent sons.

But as we all know, appearances are deceiving.

Seth was, as all of the Wizarding World knew, the Boy-Who-Lived, who vanquished He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. He had dark red hair and hazel eyes, along with a cherubic face that made women stop and coo over him. The most powerful wizard in a very long time; that was what must have allowed him to kill Lord Voldemort! Of course, the Wizarding World practically adored him, while his brother, born simply moments later, was left in the shadows; in fact, barely anyone remembered he even existed.

Harry was the opposite of his brother, he had ink-black hair, pale skin, and deep, haunting emerald eyes. His features were angular, even…feminine in some respects. While his parents adored and cooed over Seth, leaving him behind for the brother everyone claimed was more powerful, Harry only received attention from his Uncle Remus and Sirius, along with the Weasley twins, who often visited along with Seth's friend Ron. In Harry's opinion, Ron was a right git and his little sister Ginny would grow up to be a pain, while his elder brother Percy was well on his way to being one. Charlie and Bill were alright; although Charlie was going to Hogwarts come September, and Bill would be in his fourth year. He would miss Charlie; he liked dragons, just like Harry did.

Besides, the only time his 'loving parents' James and Lily Potter paid any mind to their younger son was to violently scold him for something he would accidently do wrong. He didn't mean to, but sadly he wasn't perfect like his elder brother Seth. And Seth was no better, following his parents' example and neglecting his little brother.

So it was another summer's day that Harry sat, comfortable with a book beneath the tree on the very edge of his parent's estate, scraping the forest that often beckoned to the young boy. As usual, Seth and his parents were off visiting some 'Light' friend or the other. Or was it the weekly, pointless interview about what ice cream the brat preferred? It didn't matter, the slightly embittered child had decided. Harry never felt as if he had belonged with his family, he felt so…different. So when he spotted **her**, he wasn't scared, in fact he was intrigued.

She was not tall; in fact, she was quite short, but still a great deal taller than him, with eerily pale, glowing skin, and deep, haunting scarlet eyes. Long raven hair, as black as his hung down her back in barely-there waves. Following her was a beast of a raven-winged horse, lowering his massive head to hover just next to hers. When she raised her head, he swallowed, she had seen him. With a smile that most would take for menacing, Harry noticed the glint of interest and kindness in her eyes. She was by his side in an instant, and she sat next to him, asking him softly, as her steed gently lowered himself to the ground, sitting as he observed them, inclining his head in an intelligent way,

"He's interesting, isn't he?" Harry jumped when the girl spoke, her voice was soft, a barely there whisper that had a raspy quality to it. He replied, not used to having strangers speak to him,

"…Yes. What is he?" He threw his head back and forth and nickered softly, and the girl smiled,

"Odon is a Custos, my guardian. All of…**us** have one, along with a familiar." Harry tilted his head curiously at her,

"What do you mean…**us**?" The girl's eyes widened, her pale pink lips pursed, and she questioned,

"You mean you don't know? People…no, **creatures** like us. Tenebris Creaturis. The Dark Creatures." Harry blinked at her, a child-like innocence permeating his words,

"I am one?" Her lips curled in another seemingly menacing smile,

"Of course you are, little Urobos." Harry blinked, and asked her,

"My name is Harry." She gave him a deep look that his advanced and neglect-shaped mind registered as rage, with pinches of disappointment and pain in her scarlet gaze. "Why are you calling me that?" She pursed her lips again, confused,

"Oh, but that **is** your name. Your idiotic parents simply refuse to look away from that manipulator Dumbledore and see you for what you are. Although I feel they are so far-gone that they will never understand or appreciate you. "

"Am I really that special?" She threw her head back and laughed, a soft, trilling noise that carried over the fields and caused some of the creatures to look up and stare.

"Of course, little Harry. All people like you are extremely special." She stood, and looked down at him, biting her lip softly as she observed him. She fought an internal battle with herself, whether or not to take this young child away from the pitiful excuse of a life he had, despite her being a child herself, to a family that he needed and deserved. To take him to the very man everyone was convinced that his perfect brother had done away with. He was such a dear and timid child; as well as highly intelligent and kind.

_**'Valkyria, why are you not home yet?'**_Valkyrie smiled slightly at the soft hum of her leader's voice in her mind. She said back,

_**'I am speaking with the younger Potter child. He is one of us, as our Hellhound suspected.'**_ It was several moments before the man responded, and asked, voice filled with a near infantile curiosity,

_**'What exactly is he? A phoenix? Or perhaps a Veela like you and your family? Perhaps a snake like me?' **_Valkyria shook her head,

_**'It is impossible to tell, Uncle. Do you want me to bring him back home?'**_

_** 'How will he handle the flight from there to France?' **_Valkyria studied the boy softly, it was obvious he was malnourished and underweight, disguised by long sleeves and pants. Something akin to revulsion and rage built up in her stomach, threatening to burst forth and manifest itself in her magic. Slowly, slowly she brought her wayward magic back under control.

_**'The warmth from my wings will keep him well, dear Uncle.'**_Several moments passed again, and he gave consent,

_**'Very well, Valkyria. Bring him. And ensure that he is not harmed or taken back by that meddling Dumbledore.'**_ As he withdrew from her mind, she looked down at Harry and asked,

"Harry, would you like to come and meet my family?" He thought for several moments, then answered, emerald eyes wide in curiosity,

"Are you going to bring me home right away? Mother will beat with the pan me if I'm even a little late." Valkyria struggled to simply slip up and rip apart the people who had dared hurt such a small and sweet child, and managed to rein her temper in, hoping not to terrify young Harry,

"We will see." As Harry happily walked over to Odon and began to rub his snout, something he would not allow other children to do, Valkyria's scarlet eyes narrowed viciously and she growled, casting a stare at the distant Potter manor. _'If you receive the reception I believe you will, you will __**never**__ come back here.' _Valkyria took a deep breath and, ignoring the wince of pain that shot through her frame, two wings grew from her back and unfolded, raising high into the air before folding. They were lustrous, not a single feather was white or silver or even a dark brown; it was just inky blackness. Harry stared up at her, fascinated,

"Are you an angel?" She laughed at him,

"No, I am not. She picked him up, settling him on Odon's back before getting onto her guardian. The horse nickered,

_**'Will we have to return here? This…Light dwelling…it sickens me.' **_Valkyria ran her fingers through her guardian's silky mane as he trotted into the forest, in order to take off out of view of the manor. In truth, her family had been planning this for a while. If everything went as planned, Dumbledore would be left at square one and his grand design would come crashing around his wrinkled ears. That in turn would give them long enough to strike and bring him down. But it was going to be a long time before they were truly rid of the true evil. When they were deep enough into the forest, Odon began to canter, and then break into a wild gallop, launching himself off of a cliff.

Instead of screaming in terror as she expected him to; Harry merely inhaled deeply, eyes widened and hair pushed back from his face. Odon laughed, which sounded like a loud neigh, and spread his wings, as Valkyria wrapped hers around Harry and herself; muttering and chanting charms to ensure he did not fall off; as she could simply fly alongside Odon, had they not had this little addition to their traveling party. As the raven Pegasus rose higher and higher on the wind currents, Harry drifted off to sleep, curling against Valkyria and drifting off to sleep. When she heard the steady in and out of the breath in the small boy's body, Valkyria opened her mind up to her partner-in-crime and friend,

_**'Bill? Bill, can you hear me?'**_

_** 'Ah, Val? What's wrong? Have we messed up?'**_

_** 'Now. Do it now.' **_By 'it' she meant for Bill to take George and Fred and flee with them. She watched as country sides flew by, and when she whistled to Odon, the horse folded his wings and entered a neck-breaking dive. As soon as she was sure Odon's magic would secure young Harry, she pushed off of the beast and entered a dive of her own, unfolding her wings when a gold and red blur sped towards her, hurtling past and depositing two sleeping figures on Odon. Immedeatly the magic secured them, recognizing them as creatures as well. A second blur joined the first; two redheaded children, one a teenager, one pubescent, with fiery wings. Well, Charlie had fiery wings; Bill's had stopped flaming and turned a gold and orange color that glistened faintly in the lightning that cracked overhead.

Valkyria nodded at her friend and his brother, as the two flew along side her. Bill opened his mind to the raven,

_**'No one saw us escape.' **_Valkyria nodded, his story was quite sad. When Dumbledore realized that the two elder Weasley children and the twins could not only see right through him, they were also creatures, he convinced their parents that they were no good, filled with Dark Magic, with Slytherin tendencies. And when Bill had been accepted to a school that was not Hogwarts…it had been the final straw. Like James and Lily Potter, Arthur and Molly Weasley were long and far gone from what was right. While Bill and Charlie were fully aware of what was going on, Fred and George were like Harry; children, mere victims of Dumbledore's manipulations.

_**'Then…for now, our rescues are complete.' **_

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**Did you enjoy it? Sorry, I don't do long chapters as starters. What creature are you curious about first? Let me know, click the wonderful little button down there; it's glorious!**


	2. Chapter II: Castle of Creatures

**Disclaimer: I do not, nor will I ever, own Harry Potter. I do not make any money off of this work.**

**Author's Note: This was written originally earlier in the year, but due to personal reasons, I took it down. I'm writing my own original book as well as this and several other stories, so for updates, information, or just need a laugh, the links to my blog, tumblr (NSFW), and Deviantart are in my profile.**

**Warnings: Wrong Boy-Who-Lived, Mentions of Abuse/Neglect, Swearing**

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Contrary to popular belief, England was not the only place where fortified and ward-riddled mansions and castles stood. There was a structure in France whose security and age could rival that of Hogwarts, the legendary English school. It rested in a valley, far from prying muggle and wizarding eyes, anyone who looked into the valley would suddenly remember some sort of appointment that they suddenly had to rush off to. Anyone who managed to get past the wards and into the valley would be ripped apart by one of the many Custos that inhabited the castle with their masters.

It was a legend, the 'Castle of Darkness', the correct name being the Castle of Creatures.

Built in the late 980s to house Salazaar Slytherin's beloved creature daughter, Epona, it was rumored to be stronger than Hogwarts. No one knew to compare it save the people that lived in it since then. The walls were of a pale stone, and the windows, high and arching, were of stained glass, casting cool shadows for the occupants within. The halls were cold and quiet, unusual for the castle, which almost always had someone or something moving around in in. Seeing as it was a late hour, only two women sat in the Hall, waiting patiently for the youngest members of their little family to return.

Bellatrix Lestrange gave a little sigh as she stared towards the window; nothing. Absolutely nothing. They had heard from her goddaughter and her friends last hours ago, and she could tell that everyone was growing antsy, especially the familiars and two Custos of the three elder. Her own familiar curled up in her lap, giving her a pointed look with wide, stark grey eyes.

_**'Don't worry, mistress, they approach swiftly!' **_Bellatrix ran her fingers through the fox's ears, when they heard the steady flap of wings. The doors opened to admit Odon, who strode in with three shivering figures on his back. Two were redheaded; and one sported a head of raven. They were soaking wet, and followed by Charlie Weasley, who was shivering as much as his younger brothers and their friend. As his wings retreated into his body, Narcissa Malfoy stood and began to cast warming charms on the poor children, now awake and shivering in fear. The wards prevented the children from falling off and being hit by curses, but not from the freezing cold of the air. Bellatrix walked up to the young Phoenix,

"Where is Bill and Valkyria, Charlie?" The redhead shivered then relaxed as she began to cast warming charms on him as well,

"They are out…still flying. They thought they saw something." A look of anger crossed Bellatrix's face, and she snapped at her sister,

"Cissy, you don't think?" As the blonde woman began to comfort the little raven, whose eyes were beginning to well up with tears, Narcissa said,

"Well, we have taught them well; they can handle a few of Dumbledore's blind supporters." Bellatrix supposed so, but her insane mind was beginning to think of everything that could possibly go wrong. And her heart ached for the children she recognized as hers. Bellatrix blinked again, and the Air Elemental looked at Narcissa before allowing herself to turn into air, blowing through the castle as a cool spring breeze.

* * *

Bill loved flying.

Not on a broom, but the feeling of rising on the currents with his powerful wings was exhilarating. While all he wanted to do was get back to the castle and check on his brothers, Valkyria had the feeling they were being followed and had pulled him into a dive towards where they spotted moving figures. Figures on brooms. Valkyria's eyes widened and she pulled up, shooting high into the air, gesturing for him to enter a dive. He began heading towards figures he recognized as Aurors, and glared, taking his creature form, an oversized phoenix, burning in all of its fiery glory.

They avoided him, shouting as several hexes came his way. When he wasn't paying attention, a stupefy grazed his wing, immobilizing it, causing him to plummet towards the earth. Something pitch black dove down, knocking several of the Aurors off of their brooms, then swooping down in order to catch Bill mid-fall. They managed to make it past the wards and into the Valley, as Valkyria's wings strained to support both hers and Bill's weight; she wasn't accustomed to carrying others in her arms while flying.

They ended up crashing through the windows of the Great Hall, a rather ungraceful move for two otherwise graceful fliers. They skidded on the floor before crashing into the wall. As Valkyria unfolded her aching wing, Bill withdrew his own, standing in order to look at his little brothers. While Fred and George had a rare expression of confusion/fear on their faces, Charlie looked relieved to be back here. Bill grinned a little bit; trust Charlie to barely bat an eyelash at a two-day flying journey. Harry had his face buried in Narcissa's shoulder, and Valkyria walked towards him,

"Harry? Harry are you alright?" He peeked from Narcissa's shoulder out at Valkyria, who was giving him her little smile from earlier. He nodded shyly, and then buried his face back into Narcissa's shoulder. As Valkyria stretched her wings out again, sighing in relief when she heard several pops, Odon walked up to her, projecting to Bill, Narcissa and Valkyria's minds,

_**'Terras has alerted me that the Potters have now realized the disappearance of their child, Narcissa.' **_As Bill and Valkyria let out snorts from the fact that it took the Potters two and a half days to realize that their younger child was gone, Narcissa let a little smile cross her face; her familiar Terras looked like a simple dove, but in reality was a very useful spy and ally, as well as one of the most cunning of the familiars.

_**'Very good. We will put Harry, Fred and George to bed now; come along.' **_Harry wanted Valkyria to carry him, and since he asked in such a frightened and darling way, she obliged him. They walked up some stairs and down a hall before going their separate ways. Valkyria smiled at Harry,

"You'll be sleeping in the room next to mine, so I can keep an eye on you, little brother." He blinked at her,

"I get my own room?" Valkyria nodded patiently, her anger rearing up at the Potters again, and she chuckled,

"Yup, it's all yours. It's a little big, so the first night might be hard." Harry nodded sleepily, and Valkyria stopped in front of a portrait of Epona Slytherin, who was a dragon. The woman blinked innocently at Harry, and smiled,

"Is that the Potter child you all chatter ceaselessly about?" Valkyria nodded, and she continued, chirping her eyes twinkling in a mysterious way, "Oh! Well, just for this evening, I won't bother you about the question tonight, he looks really tired." As the portrait swung aside, and as they entered the passageway, Harry's eyes widened.

There was a nicely sized sitting area and a fireplace, with floor to ceiling book shelves on one wall of the room. To the right was a small kitchen area, but Valkyria highly doubted that Harry would be using it anytime soon. Down a little hall there was a bathroom, two spare rooms, a room for his future familiar and Custos, and then Harry's room. These chambers had once been Epona's hence the light airy colors everywhere. They seemed to soothe the young boy, which was the desired effect. Harry fell asleep right after being tucked in, and while Valkyria lingered, she eventually exited the room and headed to her own rooms, pausing in front of the door with the wolf knocker. It blinked at her, then asked, mysteriously,

"What cycle is unending?"

"That of the Phoenix." With an inclination of its head, it swung open to admit her, swinging closed when she was inside. Her familiar, a Siamese named Mondo excitedly greeted, jumping up to her shoulders,

_**'Oh! You're back! Hello Valkyria!' **_Valkyria gave the cat several affectionate scratches behind the ear, grinning slightly when she realized that the cat was very close to falling asleep. She could hear the soft nickers coming from Odon, he was already in his room, possibly settling down to sleep. Valkyria, once registering the familiar surroundings, dragged herself to bed, collapsing on top of it.

'_**I presume you have returned safely to France, Miss Thanatos.' **_Valkyria smiled at the sound of Severus' voice in her mind, and he continued in his snarky tone, _**'If you required assistance, I was merely a thought away.' **_

_**'Do forgive me, Severus. Bill and I were too focused on getting little Harry out of there.' **_For several moments, the man was a steady buzz in her mind, and he sighed,

_** 'I thought I knew Lily, when I was in school.'**_

_** 'I know. We all think we know others. When do you think you are coming back?' **_

_** 'Before the term begins; I don't want Dumbledore being suspicious.' **_Valkyria ached for her mate, out of all of the mated couples living here, she was away from hers the most. Although she was just 14 years old, she knew they were soulmates, bound by fate. They had already resolved not to do anything until she was of age, but sometimes, waiting was so difficult. Sitting up, as Mondo curled up by her side, she asked him,

_**'Is what Odon said true? That it took the Potters two days to realize Urobos was gone?' **_Severus was silent, then asked,

_**'Is that what Bellatrix said his name was?' **_Bellatrix's sacred gift was to tell the true names of creatures. All she needed to do was set her gaze upon them once.

_**'Mm-Hm.' **_She let out a yawn, and her link with Severus grew fuzzy.

_**'You're exhausted, aren't you?'**_

_** 'Well, I just flew for two days straight.' **_

_** 'Then sleep. I'll be there with you before you know it.' **_Valkyria yawned, a light smile crossing her face as she drifted off into dreamland. She jumped up at little feet padding on the floor, and stared into emerald eyes,

"Harry? What's wrong?"

"I'm scared…can I sleep with you, Valkyria?" Valkyria nodded, lifting the covers so that he could crawl under them. He snuggled up to her barely-there chest, and was asleep within moments. She spent several moments gazing down at him, then looked up, eyes focused on the moon. She eventually followed him into a world of sleep.

* * *

Harry woke up warm and feeling safe for once. Usually he would be woken up by Kyle shouting at him or by the pangs of hunger in his stomach. Well, he was hungry right now, but he didn't want to bother the nice girl for food…maybe she was doing something important.

He looked around him, he was alone in the bed, and managed to get out. Where was Valkyria? Padding around the room by his lonesome self for a little bit, he was eventually found by a small cat who mewed and went to the exit, as if waiting for him to follow. He walked up to it, and the door opened, allowing him to enter the hall; blue shadows being cast by the stained-glass windows. Following the cat down the stairs and through another long corridor, he passed many statues that appeared to be studying him. But rather than being scared, Harry was curious.

"Wow, it's so interesting here…."

"Isn't it, young Mr. Potter…or would you prefer Harry?" Harry jumped at the voice and turned. A man stood there, tall, pale, and handsome. He had raven hair and dark eyes ringed in scarlet. The curious thing was that his pupils were slitted, almost reptilian in appearance. Harry stared at him, and he continued, "This is my ancestor's castle, built in the late 900s for his beloved daughter Epona to live peacefully with her mate and children. It is now a haven for creatures like us."

"Creatures?"

"Yes. You have seen that Miss Thanatos and Mr. Weasley have traits unlike other Wizarding children, haven't you?"

"I have, sir."

"Then you understand that you are, like them, a creature." Harry stared at the man, who said,

"My name is Tom Riddle, dear child. The world knew me as Lord Voldemort." Instead of screaming and running away like Tom supposed he would, Harry blinked silently and said, quite simply,

"I thought you were dead." Tom chuckled quietly, there was a lot about this night that the Wizarding World did not know. Perhaps the truth would be too much to handle, and now was not the time, anyways. With another grim chuckle, he went on,

"No, I'm not dead. I'm very much alive and well. Now come, you should meet everyone else and get something to eat. I'm sure you'll receive a very warm welcome, not unlike your friends Fred and George." Harry's eyes grew wide,

"You can tell the difference between them?"

"No, I'm afraid not; that ability is a talent few possess. I believe Bellatrix and Sirius can, however."

"My uncle Sirius is here?!"

"No, but he will be soon. Now come along, off to breakfast." Harry blinked again at him, following the small cat. Tom held back, looking around him, feeling the defenses of the castle rise in anticipation of something. After several moments keeping his mind open to the world, Tom then followed Harry, feeling rather peckish himself.

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**Here we are! If I get 10 reviews, it'll encourage me to upload fassster!**


	3. Chapter III: Meeting the Creatures

Harry looked around the main hall, where some adults, teens, and a couple of children were eating food. The hall boasted pale stone walls, and elegant, unlit (seeing as it was morningtime) tapers lined the walls. The sun shone through a stained glass window depicting the various magical creatures, but they were all in such a blend of colors and mayhem that Harry couldn't identify them all. At the head of the hall sat a silver throne, but it looked like it hadn't been occupied for a while.

There was one gigantic table, filled with many types of food. The hall echoed with noise, as not only were they eating, they were also talking. It was much warmer than dinners at home, Harry decided, and he liked it.

He saw Valkyria happily wave at him and pat an empty chair next to her. He walked up and timidly slipped into the seat, as she began fixing a plate for him. He stared at the foods, mouthwatering, something that did not escape her careful eyes. She frowned at him,

"When was the last time you ate properly, Harry?" He blushed heavily, almost refusing to look at her, and murmured,

"Well, I broke a vase by mistake the other day, and Mother says that bad little boys don't get to eat like good little boys. So she just gave me water and a couple stale pieces of bread." The hall fell silent at his admission, and all eyes turned towards poor Harry. Some eyes looked human, and some glowed with boundless magic, ready to burst to the surface in rage. He shuddered and burrowed into Valkyria's stomach, unnerved by all of the attention. Then then, there was a buzz of activity in his mind,

_**'What a sick bitch that mudblood Evans is…'**_

_** 'Who would do that to a poor, innocent child?'**_

_** 'I knew Potter should have been neutered! Look what he does to children…'**_

_** 'I'm going to take my wand and shove it up her…' **_Harry looked around wildly, was this all in his head? But it sounded like all the people in the room talking at once! As he shook, Valkyria's voice was trying to rise above the others, calling,

'_**Everyone, I understand that you're displeased and the sort about both the Potters and the Weasleys, but please calm down!' **_That did nothing to calm the people in the hall, if anything, it made them antsier. There was a sudden silence, and Tom strode in, glaring at everyone. In his smooth, collected voice, he admonished,

"Keep better rein on your telepathy. You could have terrified poor Harry." He strode over to where Valkyria and Harry were, and said, "Go ahead and eat Harry, no one's going to take it from you." Within moments, Harry was enjoying a plate piled high of all of his favorite foods. He chattered some to Valkyria, but was otherwise quiet. When he was finished, Valkyria stood, and chuckled,

"Time to meet everyone. You know Bill, Charlie and Fred, Harry." Harry gave another one of his shy smiles, and Valkyria gestured to a heavy-lidded woman with long, dark hair and a partially deranged look in the bowels of her eyes, "This is Bellatrix, don't worry, she won't hurt you." The woman tilted her head and gushed, a genuine look on her face,

"You look exactly as Sirius describes you." Harry asked, eyes wide,

"My uncle talks about me?" The dark-eyed woman rolled her eyes,

"All of the time, it's impossible for him to shut up about you." Next he met Rodolphous and Rastaban Lestrange, Bellatrix's husband and brother-in-law. They looked almost like twins, tall, slender and pale, with sharp violet eyes, except Rastaban's hair was much shorter and in layers. The young Potter stared, fascinated as random slivers of silver flame shot throughout their hair, starting at their roots and running down to their ends. Rastaban noticed Harry staring, and stated, as his brother was the silent type,

"Oh, you must be wondering why my hair is doing that." The young boy nodded, confessing,

"I am a little curious…" Rastaban chuckled,

"I'm a Night Phoenix. When we reach full maturity, flames shoot throughout our hair so that we can be properly identified. We don't have to worry about being targeted because at that point, we're strong enough to hold our own." Harry's eyes widened,

"That's so cool…so when Bill and his brothers grow up, they'll do that too?" The dark-haired man nodded,

"Yup, hopefully." Next was the platinum haired Malfoy family, made up of Lucius, Narcissa and Draco. Lucius kindly smiled at Harry; the boy reminded him of his own Draco, except Draco was very, very talkative. Seeing as he had met Narcissa already, he warmly greeted her, but shyly hid behind Valkyria when Draco decided to introduce himself. Draco frowned, and looked at the elder girl,

"'Kyria, why won't he say hi?" Valkyria looked down, scarlet eyes glinting,

"Ah, don't worry, little brother, Urobos is just a little shy, isn't he?" Harry peeked out from behind her long robes, clutching them in his hand as Draco waved happily and held his hand out,

"Hi, 'Robos, wanna play? My Daddy's Custos loves to play. Gred and Forge can come too, if they want." Harry remembered that a 'Custos' was a guardian, as Valkyria had told him, but he couldn't imagine one wanting to play, especially with a child. Either way, he was curious, so he took Draco's hand and the blonde boy dragged him off with an inhuman speed to get the twins, running into Tom on the way. The man raised his eyebrow,

"As much as I understand the two of you want to play, Draco, Harry, be patient." He turned to Draco, "Harry hasn't finished meeting everyone…and he has to, especially if he wants to live here." Harry's eyes widened, but he remained silent. Obediently, he went back over to Valkyria, who took him around to the other inhabitants. So far, there were phoenixes, elves, werewolves, banshee, vampires, sirens, unicorns, and even a basilisk (Tom) living there. The young boy's head spun with all the names, but then he realized he knew everyone, and there was a steady buzz in his mind now. It didn't hurt his head or anything, it was just a clear, steady buzz, softly humming the back of his mind. Harry asked Valkyria,

"Why are you so pretty?" She chuckled,

"Because I'm a Veela." He seemed deep in thought for a moment,

"Why are you living here?" Her eyes grew hard and cold,

"Because my family threw me away, just like yours did." Harry fell silent, and she soothed,

"I don't hold you responsible, I promise. It's no one's fault…except for him…" She seemed to retreat into memories of events past, but quickly rebounded, "So, do you want to go play with Draco?" The young boy nodded vigorously, and she smiled,

"Go on, then!" The two ran off happily after retrieving the twins, and Valkyria turned and sat by Bill,

"Fancy a flight?"

"After breakfast?" Valkyria nodded, then inclined her head so that no one could hear her next few words,

"I want to check something. If the Auror's could have gotten so far, then we need to throw them off of our trail again." Her red-headed brother-in-arms nodded,

"Of course."

* * *

Severus was just about to enjoy a bottle of Firewhisky when his fireplace roared to life and Sirius and Remus stepped out. Upon seeing the dejected look on Sirius' face, the Potions Master inquired,

"What's wrong with Sirius?" Last names were to keep up the appearance of loathing they had in school, but from 3rd year, Sirius, Remus and Severus had been secret friends, when they found out they were Creaturis. They only kept up appearances to fool Dumbledore, whose façade they had seen through a very long time ago. Remus sighed, taking a seat on a chair closer to a bookshelf,

"He misses Harry." Sirius sat in Severus' lap, looked directly at the man, and murmured, lip trembling,

"I mish him." Severus sighed; his friend was such an emo. Even had the long hair and dark-rimmed eyes to go with the image. The man sighed,

"He's safe, Sirius; Valkyria told me last night that they made it in." The blue-eyed man stared at him in shock, then began to smile, getting up,

"Good…I was worried the long flight might be too much for Harry." Severus had secretly shared the same concern; his mate and her best friend were fully capable of making the 36 hour flight, but Charlie, Harry and the twins may not have fared well. "So, when do we leave?"

"In a week's time with the excuse that there is activity pointing to 'Lord Voldemort' in Spain. No one is to attempt to contact us, and if they do, they may blow our entire cover. I have convinced Dumbledore of this, and you know once the old fool is convinced, everyone will go along with it." The two other men nodded, and they all poured glasses of firewhisky, as Severus inquired, spitting his words out carefully,

"And how is my dear friend doing?" Sirius shrugged,

"I can't tell if Evans is faking it or not, Sev." Sirius rolled his eyes as he recollected the reaction of his so-called-best friend's wife to realizing her son was missing. Putting down his glass, he began, "My baby! My baby! A death eater has stolen him, oh-ho-ho-ho…." It was complete with hysterical screaming and waving his arms, and while Remus laughed a bit, Severus chuckled into his drink. "It is pretty amusing and pathetic; seems more like crocodile tears to me." Remus managed to calm down,

"I believe it is crocodile tears. All Potter's concerned about it the safety of his Golden child, the Boy-Who-Lived! It's quite sad, really." The two black-haired men nodded in agreement; it was quite sad. Severus heard tapping at his window, it was a raven with very intelligent eyes. Rastaban's familiar. With a frown, the letter was retrieved, and Severus murmured,

"It's from Valkyria. I wonder what it's about?" Opening it, he read out loud,

_**Dear Severus,**_

_** I pray this letter finds you in good health. While Bill and I were out flying today, we discovered something disturbing, a fissure in the wards around the castle. I informed Tom, and he was very disturbed, and told me to write you straight away. I dislike uprooting your plans to keep that old coot off of your back, but we need you, Remus and Sirius here as soon as possible in order to repair the wards. Also, I would like to know the Potter's reactions to their missing son, Terras' information was limited, as she was forced to return by the familiar bond. I hope you all are well and that I may see all of you again.**_

_**Faithfully Yours,**_

_**Valkyria**_

"This complicates matters. If we left quietly, not to mention suddenly, there's still a chance he would find us, and that would expose everyone before we were ready. " Remus began to rub his chin, as the dog animagi nodded in agreement. Severus merely sighed, and Sirius stepped in,

"Tell you what; I'll go on ahead with Remus for the excuse of looking for fun. Then we can set something off that would point at you having to go to France." Severus nodded quietly,

"Yes, that will have to work…I like that." With that, the three men shook hands, and the two men left the way they came, via Floo. Severus stood, and walked over to his shelf, looking for a particular book. It was one his mother had given to him, and he felt it would be instrumental in helping Harry. Their painfully limited information on what he was could prove detrimental in the days and months to come. The portrait of his ancestor Epona walked into the frame,

"Your mother is coming; I suggest you smooth your hair some, dear boy." He frowned; the woman seemed to have an angry look on her face, unusual for both the real woman and her portrait. He respectfully inquired,

"May I ask you what has upset you, Grandmother?" The woman turned a little red in her anger,

"Dumbledore happened. How DARE he remove my father's portrait! The other founders are furious about it as well; does he dare insult years of tradition and history at Hogwarts?!" He could practically hear her teeth gnashing, and fire expelled itself from her mouth. Smoothing his hair just as his mother walked through the door, Severus swallowed as he saw a similar expression on his mother's face.

"Severus, I presume your grandmother has told you about what transpired." The pureblooded woman's eyes were coal black with rage, and her son inquired,

"Why are you here, Mother…and where is Father? Not that I'm not happy to see you, but…."

"Hm. Well, your Father preferred not to come, you know how he is about Apparation, and you know I have no balance when it comes to Floo." She coughed, brushing a strand of chocolate-colored hair back from her eyes, "Your familiar came to me, Severus. Intriguing news as well."

"About what?"

"Where is young Harry?" Severus looked around nervously, and growled to his mother in the dragontongue (1),

"_I would like to take no risks in keeping the children safe. I cannot tell you at the moment, Mother, forgive me._" The elder woman raised her eyebrows, and responded (1),

"_Perhaps…But still, my son…_" She bit her cheek mysteriously, and continued, "Never mind. I only came to ask you that question, and seeing that you cannot answer me properly, I shall have to wait my turn and see for myself what happens." She stayed, chattering softly with her son about whatever topic struck their fancy, and Severus was reminded of yet another reason that he despised Dumbledore.

Tobias Edmund Snape had not been a muggle, as everyone assumed, but rather a half-blood (2) and a rather powerful one as well. It was because of his mother, Katherine Snape, a Spaniard witch of shrewd tactics and a clockwork mind that saw straight through Albus Dumbledore and opted to send her son to Durmstrang instead. When he met and married Eileen, it was agreed that he keep up the appearance of being just a Muggle to fool people into thinking Severus was much weaker than he really was, in order to protect him from the machinations of those who would seek to use him. It sometimes made Tobias guilty and Severus angry, but the son later understood that it was for his own good.

With a sigh, he later saw his mother off and sat to pen a reply to Valkyria, as Rastaban's familiar remained, intelligently staring at the witch and wizard.

_**Dear Valkyria,**_

_** I am well, you needn't worry about me. I have told Remus and Sirius about your letter, and they will be in France as soon as they can. However, I must linger in England as not to make Dumbledore suspicious of my actions. The Potters, as I expected them to, cry crocodile tears and continue to coddle their miserable child. As I said before, girl, I am well, and will be with you soon.**_

_**Until we meet,**_

_**Severus**_

Typing the parchment to the raven's leg, the familiar took off from the open window, vanishing from sight within moments. Turning to his fireplace as the fire roared green, his ancestress growled,

"Dumbledore." His shields went up as the man strode into the room, maintaining his grandfatherly mask. Severus cast a stare at Epona, her eyes were hooded and she growled, as the man greeted,

"Ah, Lady Slytherin. Are you well?" She spat at him, growling,

"How dare you greet me with kindness after what you have done to soil my father's memory?" The man looked taken aback at the woman's attitude; Severus smirked, Epona, while not prone to rages, was simply beastly when she had been gravely offended in some way. "Pray you can withstand what Hogwarts shall unleash upon you for spitting upon the graves of the Founders!" With that, she walked out of her portrait.

Albus was still staring, containing his surprise and rage at the Founder's daughter. He knew he could not snap back at her, as her spirit was connected to Hogwarts…and that could cause problems for him and his grand design later on. Pushing the boiling anger in his stomach down, he turned to Severus,

"As you have probably heard, Severus, Harry Potter is missing." Severus felt the barriers as a result of his dragon heritage stand firm and present a different, more vague thought when his mind suddenly rushed to the boy currently in France.

"I have heard and confirmed it, Headmaster. However, I have heard nothing and there is no evidence pointing to Death Eaters having done it. Surely they would have cruelly dismembered him in some way and sent his body parts back to his poor mother." The Death Eaters in fact, had no intention of doing so, rather it was Dumbledore or any of his steady supporters whom they would subject to such a horrific fate.

"Yes, but now they will probably attempt to harm young Kyle Potter as well." Severus barely resisted the urge to roll his eyes. As Dumbledore droned on and on about the possibilities that would arise and how the 'Boy-Who-Lived' would be targeted, Severus heard his Custos, Elek hiss into the bowels of his mind, '_**I despise him. May I eat him?**_'

'_**No, you may not.**_' There was a growl of disappointment in the wyvern's mind, and he reasoned,

'_**The world would be a FAR better place without him, Master. It would just take a moment for me to appear and rip his frail body to pieces.**_' Severus chuckled but sternly reprimanded,

'_**You will not eat Albus Dumbledore; you'd take the fun out of dismembering him bit by bit for all of us.**_' The Custos growled, but withdrew his mind when he felt Severus' barriers strain to keep their conversation secret.

"Well, my boy, my men have informed me of suspicious activities in France, in a week's time, I trust you'll be prepared to go there and possibly, ah, gather information?" The infernal twinkle returned to his cold blue eyes, and the draconic beast within Severus roared and foamed for justice. Before Severus could transform and wreak havoc, a soothing presence entered his mind,

'_**Severus, disemboweling him will accomplish nothing. Stop.**_' Severus sighed and his anger dissipated somewhat,

"I will be ready to leave the following Thursday, Headmaster." With that and a nod, the elder man stepped back into the fireplace, patting himself on the back, that he once again had the upper hand…or so he thought.

Severus T. Snape smirked to himself as the flames returned to normal…that man had no idea what he and his comrades were planning. What they would do was going to take the Wizarding World by storm, and it would involve all of them, including a very special little boy.

A little boy named Urobos.

* * *

(1) I've revealed that Severus is a Dragon, via his mother's Slytherin connections. Eileen is capable of speaking the dragontongue, but she herself is not a dragon. That is a product of being a Dragon's mother. Would you like me to specify what sort of dragon he is or would you like me to just say he's a dragon? Please let me know!

(2) I've become intrigued by the character of Tobias Snape, and I would like to know what would happen if he were actually a good father and a wizard. As we have learned, muggleborns are the products of having a Squib grandparent or greatgrandparent. So wouldn't it make sense that a muggleborn is a first generation Pureblood, especially if there is a strong chance that their child or children would be born with magic? It's just a theory of mine.

Thanks for reading and please keep reviewing!


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